Improvement in seed-planters



.|. H0 W LA N D.

Seed-Planters.

Patented June 2, 1874.

No.l51,490.

INVENTOR. f/f/lf? VViTNEssEs NITE in IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l5 LIEN), dated June 2,1874; application filed January 18, 1%73.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J oIIN HOWLAND, of Hanson, in the county of Plymouthand Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements inSeed- Planters, of which the following is a speciiication:

My invention relates to a seed-eu p formed in the seed-slide of aseed-planter, which cup is so divided that it may open and allowits'contents to fall; also, to the combination, with a fixed cam, of themovable half of said cup, said movable half having a projecting part,which strikes against said cam as the seedslide travels back and forth,thereby causing said cup to open 5 also, to a reversible wheel havingtwo or more sets of ca nis, as hereinafter described, for planting atdifferent distances apart.

The accompanying drawings represent my invention.

Figure l is a general view of my machine. Fig. 2 is a horizont-alsection ofthe slide-frame, showing the top of the slide, the movablehalves of the cups, and the fixed cams which open and close said cups.Fig. 3^is a vertical longitudinal section through the seed-box,slide-frame, and share, showing the partition -across the seed-box andthe rubber and steel springs. Fig. 4 is a view of the detachableaxle-bearing of the driviiig-wlieel. Fig. 5 is a section of the driving-whecl, showing the concave tire of the same and the cams on each sideof the saine. Fig. 6 is a view of the driving-wlieel with a camdiifering in shape from the cam shown in Fig. l.

A is the frame of my machine, consisting of two parallel pieces, (one ofwhich is shown,) supporting the handles B, (one of which is showin) bywhich the machine is directed. Near the forward end of the frame A is aseedbox, C, which is nearly of the usual shape on the outside, butlonger from front to rear, and within is divided by a verticalpartition, D, ruiming across the middle of the same, and extending fromthe top of the seed-box to the wedge-sliaped block E. rlhe partition D,bein g required only whentwo kinds of seeds are to be planted inalternate hills, is fitted loosely into grooves in the sides of the boxG and the top of the block E, and may be removed at pleasure. The blockE` runs across the seed-box and rests upon three bars which extendacross said box, one of said bars being under the middle of said blockE, and supporting a piece of leather, G, which extends to the top of theslide, and presses upon the seeds in the cups I l", when said cups passunder said leather G. The other tivo bars' are situated at the edges ofthe bottom of said block E, and are each provided with a set-screw andflat piece of metal, between which and tliebar is clamped a strip ofrubber, F F, and a steel spring, d d. The rubber F F is between the ilatsteel spring el d and the end of the seed-box, and reaches to the top ofthe slide H, and serves to smooth off the top of the seed in the cups II, so that only a cupful may be taken from the box at once. rlhe rubber,being soft, does not jam or injure the seed against the edges of thecup. lhe steel springs d d are shorter than the rubber springs, andmerely serve to stiifen the latter. Immediately below the seed-box isthe slide-frame L, in which the seed-slide H has a reciprocating motioncoinminiicated from the driving-wheel, as hereinafter described. Theseed-slide i H has two cups, I I', for the reception of seed from theseed-box, which are divided vertically, onelialf of each cup turning onthe pivot c c on the under side of the slide. rlhe movable part J J ofeach cup has a projection, K K', which strikes kagainst a xed ca1n,M M',on the side of the slide-frame as the slide travels to and fro, causingsaid cup to open in passing over the aperture m, (which aperture is inthe bottom of the slide-frame,) and discharge the seed within the shareO. Each cup is closed at its straight part, strikes the cani M M inmoving away from said aperture m, and is kept closed by the straightinner edge of said slide-fianie,v\fliich inner edge is eut deeperbetween the cams M M. allowing the cups to open in this place, and theprojections K y K being so thin that they overlie said straight edge.rlhe drivingwheel T has a concave tire, (seen at the top of Fig. 5,) forthe purpose of closing the furrow made by the share and covering theseed. A

scraper, V, attached to the frame A in the rear of the driving-wheel,removes any wet soil which may adhere to said wheel. 0n the side of thedriving-wlieel in Fig. l is a cam, XV, into which projects the stud j'(carrying a roller) on the arm of the bell-crank lever S. The other endof said lever S is connected by a rod, It, to the strc ight lever Q,between the ends of the same, one end ot' which lever Q has a bearing onthe frame A, and the other end ot which works freely in a slot, I, inthe slide H, so that the revolution of the driving-wheel (itself drivenby friction on the ground) causes the slide to travel back and forth andthe cups to receive and discharge the seed,as above described. On theother side of said drivingwheel Tis a cam, IV', (see Fig. 6,) of adifferent shape from the one described abovethat is, having a greaternumber of waves than said cam NV-and therefore causing, when applied tothe bell-crank lever S, a greater number of motions in the slide II foreach revolution of the driving-wheel. In order to bring the cam,

\V into play, the thumb-nut or set-screw u is loosened, and theswing-stop c is moved aside. and the bearing a, is drawn out of thebedpiece Z), into which it is dovetailed, and the axle g of thedriving-wheel is turned end for end, and the bearing a returned to itsplace and secured. Said bearing a, when in place, is ilush with thebed-piece b, and the dovetail is narrower at its inner end nearest thedrivin g-wheel, so that the bearing a cannot move in either directionwhen the stop is over it.

'It will be seen from the drawings that parts of the cams )V and )Vf areconcentric with the driving-wheel, thereby allowing the seed-slide H torest at the en d of each forward and backward motion of the same-thatis, while the cups are discharging their contents.

The gage-wheel X is supported by a frame consisting of two parallelpieces, Y, (one of which is seen in Fig. 1,) both alike. This frame Yswings on therod p in the lframe A, and a curved slot in the uppercircular part oi" said frame Y, through which slot passes a set-screw,Z, in each side of the frame A, a1- lows the gage-wheel to be set at anyheight above the ground, thus determining the depth of the furrow madeby the share O. A draftrod may be attached to the frame Y.

The advantages of my machine are, that all its motions are positive anddo not depend on springs; that it is not liable to be clogged; that itwill plant accurately in hills; that, by the use of slides withdifferent-sized cups, seeds of any size and in any number may be plantedat each opening of the cups, and, if the cups are large enough, may beplanted in drills; and that the discharge of the seed is insured by theopening of the cup while the slide is at rest.

It is obvious that similar divided cups may be placed at the outer edgeof a horizontal revolving or oscillating disk or wheel, and opened insubstantially the manner above indicated.

I cla-im as my inventionl. In the seed-slide of a seed-planter, theseed-cup I, divided, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. rIhe divided seed-cup I, its movable half .I provided with theprojecting part K, in combination with the fixed cani M, for opening andclosing said cup, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a seed-planter, the reversible wheel T, having two or more sets ofcams, as described, for planting at diiterent distances apart.

JOHN I l() TL AND.

Witnesses:

ALBERT M. MOORE, NA'riIANiEL HILL.

